Missing Scenes from Aunt Henrietta's Premonition
by Melchy
Summary: Harold Everett's thoughts culminate at the end of a very long day.


This story was written on demand for a very good friend and I'm glad she enjoyed it! Thanks to Susan G for editing.

The characters do not belong to me but rather to 20th Century Fox and David Gerber Productions. I make no money off of them. But I do have fun with them.

Missing Scenes from Aunt Henrietta's Premonition

Harold Everett was a man of science. He believed that there was an order to the universe, an explanation for everything. And as he sat down on the hard bleachers under the circus tent, he patted himself on the back for once more having been proven right. It had been ridiculous to think that anything could have happened to Nanny just because her Aunt Henrietta had said it would. It was HIS opinion that the woman was as crazy as a crow and of all the relatives of Nanny's that might show up, why did they have to be stuck with her? Really, it was just too impossible -- Nanny being menaced by a man with a mustache. This was real life, not the late, late show.

A clown came out and told everyone that the show was about to start. Harold checked to make sure that the three children had all the popcorn and cotton candy they could handle and that they had taken advantage of the "facilities". He leaned back as far as he could and decided to enjoy the show. He hadn't been to the circus in ages -- not since he and Juliet had taken Hal on his first birthday. This was a much smaller circus than that one had been, but he was sure it would be just as good.

He applauded the acrobats as they moved gracefully along the top of the tent, and had the urge he had felt since he was seven years old to just once fly through the air on one of those swings. A clown came out after they were done and began what the Professor was sure was an old vaudeville act but that didn't make it any less funny. The clown carried a bucket that appeared to be quite heavy and he walked up and down past the spectators, acting as though he was going to throw the contents on one of them. Finally deciding on a victim, he threw the pail in the woman's direction and she put up her hands to ward off what she was sure was water, laughing as confetti trickled down around her. He did it again, to a little boy in the front row and then to Prudence who giggled more than her father had heard her in a while. And then, after it looked like he was going to go, he turned back around and totally doused the man on the end with what must have been a gallon of water!

Harold had to laugh at the plight of the old man but still found himself wondering how the water had gotten in there when minutes before there was confetti. But he didn't have time to ponder it because the hulking figure of Mr. Calavari walked out in to the ring and explained that tonight he would be using a substitute for his assistant and would everyone give her a big round of applause. The audience began to clap and Nanny came out from behind a curtain. For a brief moment, Harold didn't recognize her. He had been expecting his nanny -- in her sensible clothes and practical hairstyles. Not that he thought she was plain, far from it, but she was, well, she was Nanny.

But what he saw was not his Nanny. She stood there against the curtain, her hair pulled back off her face in a stylish manner, but that wasn't what was astounding him. It was the very brief, pale pink outfit that she was wearing. And it did very well at showing off her attributes, he couldn't help but think. Very well. Had her legs always been that shapely? Were her arms really that slender? Was she truly, well, that nicely put together? And what was that -- cleavage?

He swallowed hard and thought he might be a little faint. He knew that Nanny was a woman, but as he saw her standing there now, he could tell she was a WOMAN. And definitely not Nanny, but Phoebe, a rare and exotic flower. He also noticed that several other men in the audience seemed to think so too, and he felt a little sick in the pit of his stomach. Jealousy?

But that wasn't logical; one didn't get worked up over the housekeeper. The applause died down and a clown wheeled out the prop Mr. Calavari needed for his act. It was a backboard covered with balloons on the side and Harold watched with great interest as Nanny backed up against it. Once more his mind went to the fact that Phoebe Figalilly was a beautiful woman and he wasn't sure he liked other men seeing her as such, but he told himself that that attitude was very 19th century. And then he almost had a heart attack when he saw the Italian pull back his arm and deftly throw a knife at HIS Phoebe! He couldn't look he just couldn't look. But his eyes refused to shut. Mr. Calavari was a knife thrower! Harold sat watching in horrid fascination as the man threw knife after knife, some of them coming very close to Phoebe. She appeared to be so brave, almost like it was a walk in the park, but once he thought he saw her flinch.

When the performance was over, he sighed, happy to see that his heart was now beating normally and he wasn't sweating nearly as badly. "Wasn't that neat, Daddy?" Prudence asked him, trying to climb on his lap. "And wasn't Nanny pretty?"

"She most certainly was." he agreed, pulling his daughter on to his knee. "But I have to admit I'm glad it's over."

"That was cool." he heard Butch say and Hal laughed in agreement. "Nanny didn't even look scared.

"The rest of the circus went on around them, but the Professor found he wasn't really paying attention. After a while, Nanny came out dressed in her regular clothes and sat down beside him and Prudence, allowing the little girl to lavish a hug and a kiss on her and tell her how brave she had been.

"Were you scared, Nanny?"

"Well, yes, it was a bit frightening. I will admit," she told the girl. "But I had every bit of confidence in Mr. Calavari and knew I would come through unscathed."

It was later, on the way home after the last performance, that Harold told Nanny how wonderful he thought she had been and how brave. "If I had known that it was a knife act, I don't know if I would have let you go through with it."

"Oh, Professor." she laughed. "It was just something that had to be done. I couldn't leave the poor man stranded. And it wasn't really that scary, not at all. As I said to Prudence, I had the every bit of confidence in Mr. Calavari. After all, he's been doing that act for years."

"Well, it still had me worried about you," he insisted. "I am glad your days with the circus are over and done with."

She was quiet for a moment, almost too quite. Turning to make sure the children were asleep in the back seat, she sighed a long sigh and then turned back to her employer. "I have something to admit to you Professor."

"Oh?" and he felt a sense of fear coming over him again, but a far different fear than before."

Well, when I was there tonight, getting caught up again in the excitement of the costumes and the grease paint and the animals and all the things that go with the circus life, I admit I did begin to miss the nomadic life. I traveled with Aunt Henrietta in the circus for a year or so and I did enjoy very much waking up in a new place every morning and going to the different venues each night, seeing the people there to enjoy themselves and knowing I had a hand in it."

"What did you do for the circus?" he asked.

"Anything that was required," she laughed. "Which was usually behind the scenes. And I can promise you, I was never in a knife throwing act before today." She laughed again, before growing sober. "Aunt Henrietta asked me tonight if I wanted to come along with her. She reminded me that I have been here for quite a bit longer than I usually stay in one place."

"I thought you liked it here with us." he hoped he didn't sound pouty, even though that's how he felt."

Oh, I do, Professor." she said. "But I think both you and I know that I am only here as long as you need me.

_"But I do need you_" He thought, scolding himself because he couldn't say the words out loud.

"Thank you Professor.' she said simply and to his surprise, laid a hand on his knee.

"For what?" he had to ask."

I think you know," she leaned in closer to him and kissed his cheek. She smelled so good, he thought, and when she was this close to him, there was no denying that she was a woman. He slipped a hand off the wheel and covered hers that was still resting on his knee, giving it a gentle squeeze before putting it back where it belonged.

Much later that night, after they had gotten home and put the kids to bed, Harold went downstairs for a cup of tea only to be met by Nanny, teacup and saucer in hand. "Here you are, Professor. And now I will wish you a good night."

"Thank you, Nanny." he shook his head, still trying to figure out how she seemed to know his every move.

"Good night, Professor." She got as far as the door, before she turned around and looked at him. "By the way, Professor, just so you know, I don't have any intention of leaving right now. I just thought I should make that clear. The circus is a charming life, but I'm quite content right now. And besides, I think perhaps Aunt Henrietta is planning on staying in the area for a while.

"'Well, that's good news." he tried not to be too sarcastic. He and Aunt Henrietta were not going to be the best of pals, he could tell.

"Good night, Professor." she said again.

" You looked very lovely today." he heard himself say. "Very different, but lovely." Going over to where she was, he pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Sometimes I can forget that you are a woman." And then he surprised them both by laying his lips on hers in an almost chaste kiss.

She looked up at him like she wasn't sure what to do and he knew he should let her go. He gave her a smile that she returned and he felt a flutter around his heart. Then he kissed her again, feeling her lips soft and full under his own and he teased the corner of her mouth until she parted those lovely lips. He took advantage of that parting, not sure what to expect, but their tongues met one another's and he felt a heat invade his body as she stroked his with her own. That kiss built in intensity, his hand coming up to cup her breast and he felt her draw back slightly and then lean into him as though she wanted more than what he was giving. His fingers closed over her and felt her nipple stiffen into a tight peak visible through her blouse. She was indeed a woman, he thought. All woman.

She seemed lost in her own world as she leaned into him, her hands pressing into his back, her breath trembling from his touch. And then she drew back. "Good night, Professor." she said one more time.

" Good night, Phoebe." and he watched her walk out of the kitchen, thinking that he would very much like to get to know the real Phoebe someday. And maybe he would.

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